Author's note: I really wanted to update this two days early because my mother-in-law arrived yesterday for the weekend, and I thought I wouldn't be able to write/post with her hovering around. She's lovely, but she's also nearing 60 and (I thought) would be horrified to find her daughter-in-law writing slash. Not so much apparently. She's a Glee fan as well. Thanks for the reviews/alert/favourites etc. I am still looking for a beta.

Still don't own Glee.

SEPTEMBER 2025

Dave knows he's in a bit of a funk. He's been in one for the last couple of weeks now, and he doesn't need Karen eyeing him across their office to hammer the point home. He's trying to pretend everything is normal. And it is, really. He doesn't need to pretend that much. His day-to-day life hasn't changed.

His work can be both mentally and emotionally exhausting, and he's learnt the hard way that maintaining a high level of physical activity is necessary in dealing with it, particularly on the darker days when he despises the human race as a species. He swims most mornings and has football training twice a week plus a game in the weekend when it's in season. He has a black belt (second dan) in karate, which he practises a minimum of twice a week, usually three. He isn't worried about what he eats, because the amount of physical activity he does means he feels almost constantly hungry. He passes his annual physical at work with flying colours, despite the fact that his specialised roll and skills mean that he's not often out on the beat, if ever.

He would be the first to admit that he leads a full life. He likes to be busy, and he likes to be moving. He teaches the occasional self-defence class, and also takes over the junior karate classes when he's feeling particularly energetic. Or in need of being cheered up. He sees his sister Jenny and her kids every weekend, and if he occasionally misses having a boyfriend, well, that sometimes aching feeling usually passes quickly enough. He doesn't need someone else to make him happy.

However having Kurt in his bed has made that ache to have someone to share his life with an ever constant presence in his head and heart. He doesn't think it is Kurt specific, and he knows logically that Kurt isn't viable boyfriend material. He lives in LA for starters, and while they had no trouble talking to each other, Dave doesn't recall them having much in common. No, he doesn't need anyone to make himself happy, but it would be nice to have someone to share his happiness with. To magnify it.

He misses Greg, his easy smile, camera always in hand, quirky sense of humour and odd habits and his sheer adoration of Dave's equally odd habits. Greg forced Dave to always put his own happiness first. Made him be a little bit selfish. He didn't want, and couldn't be, responsible for Dave's happiness, and he didn't expect Dave to be responsible for his. Which is why Greg's home base became London almost seven months ago. Dave couldn't hold him back, but nor could he go with him, despite being asked. Doesn't stop him missing him. Or what they had.

When he thinks about it, (and he's been thinking about it a lot), he doesn't think thatthe ache in his heart is Kurt specific, but he doesn't know. And that's what is bugging him the most. He'd been fairly hooked on Kurt in high school in an almost unhealthy way, and he'd dealt with that, with some professional help. But now he's second guessing himself, wondering whether these are new emotions, or old ones simply resurfacing. But it seems a moot point either way. Kurt isn't suddenly going to up and move to Chicago, and Dave isn't moving to LA.

He can feel Karen's eyes on him still so he grabs one of the multi-coloured foam balls he keeps in his second draw down and throws it at her, followed by another and then another. None of them have enough weight for it to get further than halfway to her desk and she raises a reprimanding finger and shakes it at him, trying to keep a serious expression on her face.

"I know…I'm thinking about it."

"Oh. Okay. Well, I'm always here you know. Even when you don't want me to be," she replies, head tilted to one side as she regards him, looking slightly relieved that he's at least admitted to something being up, even if he doesn't know what exactly. Or if it's even one thing.

"I know you are, and thanks for caring, but I can't talk about it when I don't really know what it is exactly I need to talk about…"

"Well when you do, give me a shout."

Dave nods, and wonders how she'd react if he just told her that he'd given Kurt a hand job and then he'd fallen apart in Dave's arms. He's still a bit baffled by it, and he doesn't think that Karen would be able to offer a useful point of view. Then again, she generally always surprises him. Actually, she takes an almost unhealthy interest in his sex life. He remembers her comment about Kurt when they'd arrived at dinner 'Oh look Dave, a nice piece of candy for you to eye-fuck.'

He blushes at the memory and ducks his head, chewing on a lip out of embarrassment. He looks up quickly and Karen is watching him avidly, knowing grin on her face. She knows his tells. Fuck.

"It has to do with seeeex…" Karen says in that singsong voice she uses, despite it making her sound like an annoying younger sister. Dave pokes his tongue out in an equally juvenile gesture and lobs more balls at her across the office, with more force this time and some of them land with soft bounces on her desk.

"Tell me tell me tell me," Karen demands, and Dave shakes his head.

"I'll start telling you all about my sex life. What me and Mark get up to when we have the time, energy and opportunity… this is why I have to live vicariously through you, you realise? So? Who is he? Was it good?"

She's almost manic in her interest and it freaks Dave out a little bit. His phone rings then and he pounces on it gratefully, making a shushing gesture with his hand towards Karen and she gives him the finger back. Dave swivels his chair around so he can't see her.

"Hello?"

"Hey man, you busy?" Mike asks over the phone, and Dave grins.

"I can talk," he replies, ambiguous enough that Karen won't be able to tell if it's a work or personal call. If she knows it's personal she won't hold back on retaliating with Dave's arsenal of balls that she has now stockpiled on her desk, patiently waiting for a chance.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come round to Mercedes' place for dinner on Saturday. It's just a cookout, she's inviting a few of her friends, I'm inviting you, Santana and Kate, Adrian and Anna and their kids. You keen?"

"I think that sounds doable… what time were you thinking?"

"Is someone listening?" Mike asks, finally cluing into the formal tone of Dave's voice.

"Yes, I think that sounds promising."

Mike laughs.

"Okay. I'll e-mail you the time and her address. Will I see you at training tonight?"

"Yes. I'll see you then," Dave says, turning his chair back to face Karen, who actually looks like she's doing some work, which is suspicious on a whole other level. They have their own little world in here out of necessity, considering some of the things they have to deal with, but they also work damned hard to ensure that they don't drown in paper work or ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer nature of their work.

Dave decides to take a leaf out of Karen's book and get down to some work, even if it is simply processing some paperwork that is due in later that week. He's working intently when he's suddenly bombarded by a dozen foam balls.

When Dave arrives at the tidy looking two-storey house out in the suburbs he feels unaccountably nervous. He can't pinpoint why exactly, except the fact that Mercedes is Kurt's best friend and therefore may know where Kurt spent his Friday evening four weeks ago. After dinner that is. He knocks at the front door and hears a dog bark. He's bought his potato cheese bake at Mike's request, along with a few pieces of steak for the grill, some beer and some strawberries and cream.

When the door opens and Mercedes greets him with a wide smile he feels the tension in his shoulders instantly dissipate. Despite what she might or might not know, she doesn't seem to hold it against him as she gratefully takes his food, admitting she's just burnt the roast potatoes. She gives him a quick tour of downstairs, pointing out the bathroom, kitchen and little mini-bar she has set up on the sideboard away from little hands.

She takes his food and disappears into the kitchen, leaving Dave in her living room where Dave spies an extensive wine selection in a beautiful display cabinet. He recognises the some of the winery logos on the bottle foils. There are a variety of vineyards all around the world, and from the limited view he has without taking the bottles out there are some good labels.

"You know your wine Mercedes," Dave comments when she returns to the room, and is a bit taken aback when she cracks up laughing.

"I wish. Kurt bought me all those. He loves wine."

Dave is surprised, trying to think back to his dinner conversation with Kurt. Kurt hadn't volunteered much information. In fact, he'd seemed pretty intent on finding out as much as possible about Dave, now that he thinks about it. Dave is impressed. Normally he'd consider himself fairly perceptive, but Kurt had somehow managed to bypass that and draw out as much information from Dave without giving up much of his own.

"I didn't know that. He didn't mention it while we were talking," Dave says to Mercedes and she looks a bit perplexed.

"Really? That's weird…he –"

"Hey man…" Mike greets, effectively cutting Mercedes off, and hands Dave an open beer, and Dave takes it gratefully, smiling at Mercedes in a slight apology at Mike's behaviour, despite the fact Mike should be doing it himself. Mike beckons for him to follow, and Dave finds himself in a good-sized backyard, where a chocolate Labrador is sitting in a kennel, looking out pitifully and whining occasionally.

"That's Theo," Mike says, indicating the dog. Dave nods as he watches Mike set up the grill. He wonders if Mercedes minds the fact that Mike has taken over the cooking, or whether that was her intention all along. Dave knows he's early, figuring he'd be a possible common link between both sets of friends, although he wouldn't consider himself a friend of Mercedes', he does have a handy conversation starter of 'I went to high school with Mercedes. How do you know her?'

They're eating early because of the kids, and Dave offers his help in the kitchen briefly before being waved off by Mercedes and another woman who has arrived, who Mercedes introduces as Paula. Dave knows he won't forget the name, what with it being so close to his father's name, and he heads back out to the garden to keep Mike company.

In the kitchen Mercedes is running over the guests to Paula. It is Mike's turn to be introduced to her friends, and she thinks that seeing as she had Kurt, Dave and Santana already known to her when she met his friends, he should have the same sort of safety blanket effect. It made her a lot less nervous at least, although Mike looks anything but nervous. She has fewer friends in Chicago, having only lived there for three years, and she likes the idea of reconnecting with Santana. And Dave seems decent enough now. And he's Mike's best friend. She's unknowingly humming 'It's a small world' under her breath until Paula bitches her out for getting that terrible song caught in her head.

She doesn't have any real close friends in Chicago. She has Paula, a fellow music therapist she shares clinic hours with; Phoebe, a woman who befriended her at church and is a school teacher (and also knows Mike), and Mara, a second cousin she'd looked up when she'd just arrived just so she'd had someone else to talk to. Fortunately her younger cousin had thought it was 'rockin' that she'd moved to Chicago, and had taken Mercedes out and taught her all the best places to eat, shop, get your hair cut. Mercedes tries to ignore the fact that Mara makes her feel ancient, despite the fact that there are only six years separating them.

There is only one person besides family, whose opinion Mercedes really cares about, and that is Kurt, and Mike has already met Kurt. And Kurt seems to like him, and Mike seems to like Kurt. That fact alone puts so many points in Mike's favour, but Mercedes isn't about to point this out to him, although she suspects he already knows. He's asked occasionally how Kurt is, and she likes that he shows an interest in her best friend, even if he is on the other side of the country.

When Adrian and Anna arrive with their four children Dave is engulfed by calls of 'Dabey!' and Mercedes watches in awe, her mind struggling to merge the boy she knew in high school and the man being climbed over by enthusiastic toddlers as the same person, despite the time she has spent with Dave in the last month.

Dave hasn't seen Adrian's kids for about six weeks, but had regularly been seeing them before that almost every fortnight. He's had plenty of experience with Kadin and Kruze, his two nephews in Chicago, so he offers to help out. He loves kids. There are so many things about kids that he likes, but one of his main reasons is that it allows him to be a big kid himself.

"He's a gentle giant really," Mike states, sidling up beside Mercedes as she watches in amusement as Dave crawls around with a child on his back, the others following like a conga line.

"It would appear so… it's just a little odd, remembering what he used to be like in high school."

"You mean the bullying?" Mike asks, and Mercedes' eyebrows shoot up. "Yeah, he told me about that. It's kind of why he does what he does now, in a round about way. I know it's one of his biggest regrets, except I tell him we all make stupid dumb mistakes when we're kids. I think it was good for him and Kurt to meet up again after all this time you know, lay some things at rest."

"I thought they did in high school. They seemed to anyway."

"Maybe they did, but Dave still seems to carry it around with him. He's been a bit freer since he saw Kurt, a bit more confident. It's good."

"When did he tell you about Kurt?"

"When we were back in college. We got drunk and admitted our biggest fears. And we helped each other get over them."

"What was your biggest fear?" Mercedes asks and is surprised when Mike looks away, embarrassed. "You don't have to tell me," she quickly adds, picking up on his discomfit.

"I…it's kind of embarrassing, and… I don't know, it's not a part of me now. But, okay… Dave didn't want to lie anymore, and I didn't want to be fat. Dave kind of became like my personal trainer, and I attended PFLAG meetings with him. We feed off each other, which was another reason I choose to move to Chicago. I was offered two jobs, one here, and one in Seattle. Dave was here, as well as Tom, so it was a pretty easy choice."

"Oh," Mercedes replies, and she's not sure what to think.

She'd always struggled with her own self-image, until she embraced her curves and decided that as long as she was healthy, then she'd love every inch of herself. And Mike has shown his appreciation of her body, so she has no concerns there. But she's not used to hearing guys admit they have, or had, issues about their own bodies. Except Kurt, and he's her best friend, so is a different category of guy.

And then it hits her. Mike has admitted this to her, not caring that she knows, or rather, trusting her enough to know that she won't hurt him with this new knowledge. She feels warmth spread through her like she's lying in the sun and she wraps her arms around Mike's waist.

"I love you Mr. Michael McKenzie," she says, voice quiet. It's the first time she has said the words out loud to him, and his responding grin splits his face.

"And I love you Mercedes Jones," he replies, just before a bread roll hits him in the side of the head.

Kurt is exhausted. He's just spent the weekend in Lima, visiting Finn, Melanie, Ryan and their newest addition, a wrinkled red little bundle they've called Imogen. It was nice seeing his Dad and Carol again, but sleeping in a guest room in what used to be his home feels a bit odd.

He's back in LA, and his apartment feels quiet and empty after the constant noise and movement he's just come from. He takes a deep calming breath and mentally starts making list in preparation for work the following week. His mind feels a bit scattered, some of it still in Lima, and some of it in Chicago, mainly due to an unexpected run in with Paul Karofsky and a woman who Kurt can only assume was Dave's mother.

It had been seven levels of awkward, Paul asking him how he was and what he was up to now, and Kurt replying with polite, but reserved half-answers. He'd had Ryan with him, trying to give Melanie a break, and had had to field questions asking if Ryan was his. Kurt had been grateful to get out of the store without seeming like a rude idiot, or blurting out something wholly inappropriate.

Now he's back in LA, his thoughts of Lima and Chicago fading as he recalls what he is returning to. There is a hive of gossip and speculation among Kurt's circle of friends. Everyone knows Alex was kicked out for cheating on him and moved in with Marcus. And now Cassie has moved out of their family home and in with her sister, taking Jamie with her. Kurt knows that she caught them having sex, because she'd turned up on his doorstep, crying, demanding to know whether he'd known.

Kurt had stood there, dumb struck, not knowing how to respond, before folding her into a hug and joining her in her tears. They'd fetched Jamie from the car, and she'd stayed the night, ranting at Kurt about men in general, and Kurt adding the occasional comment. She'd phoned her sister, and when current A-lister Renee Walker showed up at his door he'd done a bit of a double take and then said 'Renee Walker is your sister?' in an utterly shocked tone. The pair of women had nodded, Renee had taken Jamie from Kurt, and added 'And Reese Walker is our brother.' Kurt didn't know who Reese Walker was, so had ignored the comment.

His mind comes back to the present, and he feels tired all over again. He's spent a fair bit of time with Cassie, their friendship becoming firmer every time they speak, their shared animosity of their ex-partners acting like a cohesive glue. Kurt would like to think he'll never see Alex again, but in LA, and in their circle of friends, it's just not going to happen. Cassie doesn't have a choice, she's too big of a person to deny Jamie a parent, and Kurt admires her for that.

Doesn't mean he has to like Marcus. Marcus with his hang-dog expression like his world has fallen apart. Kurt has no sympathy for him at all. Or Alex. They've made their decisions and they can stand by them. Made beds and all that. And even though Kurt doesn't condone violence, he does occasionally want to take a swing at Marcus, particularly when he's pleading with Cassie over reconciling, and how it'll never happen again.

Actions speak louder than words to Kurt, and as long as Alex and Marcus are living together, then Cassie won't be listening to anything he has to say. At least, that's what Kurt's opinion of the matter is. Cassie takes a slightly more proactive approach and has informed Marcus that she's going to suck him dry, and not in a good way.

He's been spending quite a bit of time with Cassie and her sister, at her house in Beverly Hills. He finds spending time with Cassie preferable to other friends right now, because many of them are also seeing Alex socially as well, despite their apparent disgust-slash-horror at his behaviour. And sometimes Kurt feels a bit like a sideshow attraction, his so-called friends' curiosity driving them to make plans with him just so they can see how well he is coping. Or not. And then he feels guilty for thinking of his friends that way, and so he spends time with Cassie, because when she walks in on him slicing up carrots with a viciousness not seen outside horror movies, she grabs a knife and a carrot and joins in.

And he's not sure what to think about what happened with Dave. His emotions were in such an upheaval that he can't even remember the incident without turning beet red from embarrassment. He'd cried in the man's arms and then fallen asleep. Not his sanest or proudest moment, and if he'd thought to leave Dave reeling from his sexual prowess… well, he's failed miserably he's sure.

He'd told Finn about seeing Dave (the first dinner, not the second), as well as mentioning Santana. It had set Finn off on a whole high school reminiscent path that Kurt had stopped listening to about two minutes in. Apart from glee club, Kurt doesn't have the fondest memories of high school, but Finn seems to wear rose-tinted glasses when looking at everything, and Kurt supposes that's part of his charm.

When he'd got the e-mail from Rachel and Blaine talking about a mini-reunion in New York and what a great idea it was he'd been a bit puzzled, but it was something Finn had suggested and he'd agreed to, apparently while his brain was elsewhere while Finn was monologing about how he misses high school. And now Kurt has booked tickets to New York to catch up with friends from high school in October. Finn is going to try and track down some of the others. Between the two of them and Mercedes they have contact details for everyone.

They didn't all make it to their ten-year reunion, Kurt included, so in some cases it has literally been a decade since he's seen some of these people. And now they're going out to a lunch and then dinner and then a show, which Rachel has lined up. Kurt is looking forward to it with mixed feelings, which are fairly par for the course these days, it gives him a chance to get out of LA, which he needs right now. He just wishes he didn't have to go all the way to New York to get out of LA. And he hopes that this little reunion of the glee club involves less drama than last time they were in New York.

Dave waits for the phone to be picked up by his Dad. Usually he relies on e-mail, it's more concise, particularly considering the way his father can talk, but it's his Dad's birthday, so a phone call is a necessary evil.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dad, happy birthday."

"Hello David! How are you?"

"I'm good thanks Dad. How has your day been?"

"Good. Usual you know. Work. Your mother and I went out to dinner to a new little bistro that has opened up. On Elida. Beautiful little place, nice and small, great food."

Dave listens as his father recounts the meal in minute detail, describing both the entrees, then the mains. Dave listens with half an ear as he prepares his own evening meal. It's late, but he needs to eat something, especially with his father describing food like a TV chef. He puts the phone on speaker and moves around his kitchen, opening a beer and deciding to make a quick prawn curry stirfry. He replies to his father with occasional hmms and oh reallys and that sounds greats.

"You know who we saw while we were there? Burt and Carol Hummel. Do you remember Kurt Hummel?" Paul asks, and Dave almost chokes on his drink, which of course he's just taken a sip of.

"Yeah Dad, of course I remember him. Why?"

"Oh, well I took my car into Burt's – you remember Burt Hummel?"

Dave feels like screaming of course I fucking remember! but knows that'll get him nowhere with his father. He's going to tell a story, and it'll most likely be long and winding, have no real point and usually bore Dave to tears. However, if the subject is Kurt then he isn't going to have to feign interest.

"Yes Dad. I remember Mr Hummel," Dave replies, and he's pretty sure Burt Hummel will always be a slightly scary figure in his mind, despite the number of years that have past.

"Well, my car has been making this strange ticking sound, a bit intermittent you know, not constant, because I thought maybe something was stuck in the tyre well."

Dave starts some deep breathing exercises and continues with his ah huhs and hmms at the appropriate pauses in conversation. His Dad will get there eventually, and it's the guy's' birthday, so Dave will practise patience. His Dad is seventy-three today, and while that number seems a bit scary, it freaks Dave out when he knows he's almost halfway to that number himself.

"Well, your mother and I were shopping, and we bumped into Kurt. He's a costume designer now. Burt told me tonight. My car runs like a dream since he fixed it, by the way. Kurt had a little boy with him, his nephew apparently. Same age as Kruze. He was in town visiting his family. You should visit more you know, we'd love to see you."

And there it is, the kicker, the actually point to his father's rambling conversation. He wants Dave to come and visit. He won't come out and directly ask Dave to visit, but he's not beyond guilting him into feeling bad that he hasn't done his duty and visited his parents. He's a bit disappointed that his father had no news on Kurt other than he'd been in Lima recently, which was no surprise.

"I'll be there for Thanksgiving. I've taken the week off. And I'll be there at Christmas as well this year. You can always come and visit me you know. Chicago isn't that far away, and Jenny is here as well," Dave points out.

"Okay, I think that might be a good idea. Your mom needs a break away anyway. How does the first weekend in October sound?"

Dave does a slight double take, his Dad is not usually one for such decisive and sudden decisions. He knows his weekends in October are all free at the moment, not including usual social and sporting events. Nothing major.

"That sounds great Dad. Would be nice to see you," Dave states, and he's telling the truth. He has no preference over where he sees his parents, however not having to leave the comfort of his own king size bed is always a plus. He winds the conversation to a close with the excuse that he needs to eat dinner, and ends the call with a smile on his face.

When Dave comes home from work the next day Santana is leaning against the wall outside the door to his apartment block, thumbing through something on her phone. Dave slows as he approaches her.

"Are you waiting for me, or are you hoping to pick up business?" Dave asks, grinning as he cocks his head to one side as he regards her in her work attire. She glares at him, which only prompts him to grin wider.

"What are you doing the second weekend of October?"

"Why?" Dave replies, instantly wary, and wondering how his weekends in October are suddenly becoming hot property.

"I have this thing I have to go to in New York. Kate can't make it because she's rostered on that weekend, and apparently I have to go to this stupid meet and greet. I'll pay your airfares and accommodation. Don't make me blackmail you into this."

"So what, are we playing it straight or something?"

"Only if it's amusing to do so. Otherwise no. You free?"

"I…yeah, I am. Can you tell me more about why I have to come? I don't want to look like an idiot."

"That is inevitable and unavoidable. I just want to have someone there I actually find… tolerable," Santana states, feigning a nonchalance that Dave knows is fake, and that she likes him really. He lets out a long sigh.

"Sure thing. Let me know what I need to bring clothes wise, and let me know flight details. You can't keep that blackmail threat hanging over me forever you know."

"Well, it works doesn't it?"

"It'd work if you just asked as well."

"So you say. I find it's better not to risk it. Are you going to invite me up for a drink?"

"Uh, you want to come up for a drink?" Dave asks, rolling his eyes.

"No thanks, I have to go. Kate's expecting me for dinner. See you later!"

"Bitch!" Dave calls after her as she stalks away, and as a few heads turn his way he's really glad he's not in uniform.

TBC…

Author's note 2: Erm – I am being deliberately vague about Dave's job in the police force for a reason. Feel free to guess what his job is, or why I'm being vague. Or just wait patiently.